Hand-stamp.



Patented Aug. 7, i900. L. K. SCOTFURD.

HAND STAMP. (Application med Feb. 23, 1900.)

2 Sheeis--Sheet I.

(No Model.)

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Patented Aun. 7, |900.

HAND STAMP.k

(Appleation led Feb. 23, 1900.)

(No Model.)

2 Sheets-Sheet 2 TH: Nonms sirens m. wormxrno.. wAsNlNaToN. l:4 c.

Urvrran STATES'.

'PATENT erica.

LOUIS K. SCOTFORD, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR TO TIIE INDEPENDENT MANUFACTURING COMPANY, OF SAME PLACE.

HAN D-STAIVI P.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 655,379, dated August 7, 1900.

Application lecl February 23, 1900. Serial No. 6,238. (No model.)

T0 @ZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, LOUIS K. ScorroRD, of Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and' useful Improvements in Hand-Stamps and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description thereof, reference being had to the accompanying drawings and to the letters of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

rlhis invention embraces novel improvements in hand-stamps of that class embracing a frame, a handle having sliding engagement with the frame, an inking-pad, and a reversible die-plate, which by a relative movement of the handle and frame is moved to carry it against the inking-pad or against the surface to be printed, and is reversed during such movement to bring the printingdie thereon into positions for inking and for printing.

My invention relates more specifically to improvements in the reversing mechanism for the die-plate; and the invention consists in the matters hereinafter set forth and more particularly pointed out in the appended claims.

In the drawings, Figure l is a perspective view of a hand-stamp embodying my invention. Fig. 2 is a horizontalsection taken on line 2 2 of Fig. 3. Figs. 3, 4c, and 5 are vertical sections of the stamp, showing the same as viewed in one direction and showing three dierent positions of the die-plate during its movement in the frame. Figs. 6, 7, and 8 are similar vertical sections showing the stamp as viewed in the opposite direction and illustrating similarpositions of the die-plate with respect to the frame and reversing mechanism.

As shown in the drawings, the frame of the stamp consists of vertical end plates or standards A A, a rigid connecting or top plate A', and transverse rods A2 A2, one on each side of the frame, connecting the lower ends of the end plates A. The end plates are provided with central vertical slots a a, andv the top plate has on its under surface a recess to receive the usual inking-pad B.

C designates a die-plate which carries the type C".

D designates an operating-handle which is provided with the usual fork arms or prongs DD, which extend at their lower ends below the top plate outside of the end of the end plates of the frame. To the lower ends of said arms is attached a rod E, which passes through the slots c of the end plates. The die-plate C is pivoted to said rod and rotates upon the same when the handle is depressed 6o to reverse the die-plate and bringv the die against the surface to be printed upon.

a designates a guide-pin projecting upwardly from the top plate A', and having telescopic engagement with the handle.

The die-plate is made of a length approximately equal to the distance between the end plates A.

C2 designates an arm which is rigidly attached to one end of the die-plate C and lo- 7o cated substantially at rig-ht angles thereto.

As shown, the arm C2 is provided with integral studs by which it is attached to the dieplate, said studs being inserted through holes in the die-plate and secured therein by riveting. Said arm is located closely inside of and parallel with the adjacent end plate of the frame, and is connected at its lower end at a point opposite the slot a with one end of a crank-arm F, the other end of which is ro- 8o tatively connected with the adjacent end plate of the frame.

The die-plate arm C2 and crank-arm F constitute parts of a reversing mechanism for reversing the die-plate to bring the type carried thereby into position for printing when the handle is depressed and is intended to take the place of the usual cam-plate and the stationary stud usually heretofore used on hand-stamps of this character for reversing 9o the die-plate and holding it in its inking and printing positions. When the die-plate is in its uppermost position, with the type in contact with the inking-pad, the crank-arm occupies a horizontal position and the pivotal connection between the crank-arm .and the arm C2 is located at the central line of the frame or opposite the slot a. Downwar'd pressure of the handle depresses the die-plate, and owing to the connection of the crank-arm roo F with the lower end of the arm C2 said lower v end of the arm is caused to move in an outotal connection of the crank-arm with the end plate of the frame. Such movement of the arm causes the die-plate to be rotated about the rodE at the time it is being depressed until the die-plate has completed half its descent and the pivot-rod E reaches a pointrin horizontal alinement with the pivotal axis of the crank-arm. After this point is reached the continued downward movement of the handle will by further depression of the pivotrod tend to draw the outer end of the crankarm inwardly toward the Ycenter line of the frame, and when the die-plate is fully depressed and its arm C reaches a vertical position the crank-arm will be horizontal and inwardly directed and in the same position from which it started, having performed a complete revolution in the descent of the pivot-rod and die-plate. At the middle point of the reversing movement of the die-plate the arm C2 and crank will be parallel and at right angles to the line of pressure, so that said downward pressure will have no tendency to continue the rotation of the die-plate, the crank-arm at this point being in eect on a dead-center. To provide for giving the die-plate rotative movement in a direction to aid in its further rotation on the rod E any suitable actuating device may be provided. One means for producing this result may be made as herein shown and asfollows: Said die-plate is herein shown as provided with a downwardly-projecting rigid arm G, which is conveniently attached to the plate by integral studs g, secured by riveting to the dieplate, as shown. Said arm G is provided with a'centrally-located curved notch g', dividing the said arm into two fork-arms g2 g2. The said arms' C2 and G afford pivotal connection of the die-plate with the rod E, the arms being for this purpose provided with bearing'apertures through which 'the said rod extends. A4 designates a stud projecting inwardly from the end of plate A of the frame adjacent to said arm G and located in position to engage the notch g when the die-plate is at or about the middle of its reversing movement. In

the rst half of the depression 0f the handle the rotation of the die-plate about the rod A4 that at this time the notched arm G is in engagement with the stud A4and that said arm is substantiallyhorizontal. The stud A4 by its engagement with the notch g' of said arm will therefore at this time be in position to exert a leverage on the die-plate in a direction to turn the same and arm C2- past the l horizontal position of the arm, as shown in Fig. 4, after which the action of the crank itself will complete the reversal of the dieplate. As herein shown, the notched arm G will have engagement with the stud A4 a short time before and after the die-plate reaches the central part of its movement. Such engagement of the arm with the stud, however, need not to be effected excepting at the time'when the arm C2 and the crank-arm are parallel, or nearlyso, with each other, as this is the only time when such supplemental mechanism will be required. The restoration of said die-plate to its uppermost position will be exactly like the movement described, with the exception that it Will be the reverse thereof. When the dieplate has reached the middle part of its restoring movement, the arm C2 and crank-arm will be again parallel and horizontal and the notch g' of the arm G will be in engagement with the stud A4, so as to supplement the crank mechanism in continuing the rotative movement of the die-plate.

The arm G and stud A4, as before stated, are merely for the purpose of supplementing the crank mechanism in the reversal of the die-plate, and it will be obvious that such supplemental mechanism may be of other form or may be otherwise located. The pres= sure necessary to throw the die-plate over the dead-center may be applied, for instance, directly to the crank-arm C2, it only being essential that pressure be applied in a manner to prevent the locking of the parts of the stamp at or about the middle. of its movement in either direction.

As a further and separate improvement pivotal connections of the crank-arm F with the stamp-frame and die-plate are provided, as follows: Said arm F consists of a bar provided at its ends with apertures adapted to receive pivot-studs F F2, which are also engaged with apertures in the end plate A ofthe frame and in the arm C2 of the die-plate. Said studs IIO F F2 are hollow or tubular and internally screw-threaded and each of the studs between its ends is provided with afiange or collar, (indicated in the drawings by ffs.) The stud F', which affords pivotal connection between the crank F and the end plate A, is inserted at its opposite ends in the apertures in said crank-arm and plate and is fixed in one of said parts by being upset or riveted and is held in engagement with the other of said parts, in which it is adapted to turn, by

Iso

In the particular construction shown in the drawings the stud F is securedA in the arm F by having its end riveted or expanded into the countersunk aperture of the arm, and said stud is arranged to turn or rotate in the aperture of the end plate A, the head f2 of the screw f being in this instance arranged to engage the outer face of said end plate A. If preferred, however, the said stud F' may be permanently secured in the end plate A and have rotative and detachable'engagement with the arm F. The stud F2, which affords pivotal connection between the said crank-arm and the arm C2 of the die-plate, is permanently secured in the aperture of one of said parts and rotatively and removably secured in the aperture of the other parts by means of a screw f5, having a wide head f4 larger in diameter than the body of the stud. Said stud F2 is shown as being affixed in the crank-arm and loose in the die-plate arm but in this case also, if desired, the stud F2 may be reversed and arranged to turn in the crankarm F and permanently affixed in the dieplate arm.

Hand-stamps of the same general class as herein described have, as heretofore constructed, been provided with means for reversing the die-plate, consisting of a slotted cam-plate attached to the die-plate and arranged to cooperate with fixed studs on the stamp-frame, the cam-plate being provided with guide-slots which serve both as a means of rotating the die-plate and of guiding or holding it in its horizontal position at the time of making an impression or printing. A serious objection to this form of reversing mechanism has been found to exist for the .reason that the said slots through wear and hard usage not only become worn by the friction of the studs sliding in the slots, but become enlarged at the points where the one of the studs engages its associated slot at the time the die-plate is in printing position, the result being that the die-plate is no longer held exactly parallel with the surface to be printed upon at the time of printing and the stamp becomes unreliable and makes ablurred impression. Moreover, hand-stam ps are used largely by inexperienced or careless persons, who in many instances bring the entire stamp with considerable force against the surface to be printed upon and often in an oblique position, so that the die-plate is not only rapidly rotated and suddenly stopped, but one edge of the same is brought forcibly against the surface beneath it, with the result of a hammering action upon the sides of the slot at the point where said stud rests at the time the die is in position for printing. By reason of these facts the stamps having slotted camplates, as above mentioned, are found to soon wear out and become useless, especially if subjected to rough or severe usage.

In a stamp constructed in accordance with my present invention the liability of the parts becoming loose by wear is greatly lessened for the reason that a stamp provided with a crank-arm having pivotal connection both with the stamp-frame and die-plate is much better adapted to withstand Wear and rough usage than one having a slotted cam-plate. This will be better understood by consideration of the fact that when the die-plate in a stamp thus made is brought into its printing position the crank-arm stands at right angles to the arm of the die-plate, and the pivotstuds, which take the pressure or strain in the turning of the die-plate, are in bearing throughout their entire circumference against the bearing-apertures in which they turn, so that pressure coming on said pivot-pins in either direction is taken by surfaces in bearing contact with each other throughout onen half of the circumference of same. It follows that no hammering action and consequent distortion of the parts are liable to oci cur when the stamp is roughly used and the Wear coming upon said pivot-studs is only that due to the usual turning of the same in their bearingapertures. Obviously there will be an entire absence of the sliding friction such as occu rs by movement of the studs in the guide-slots in stamps of the kind heretofore used.

I claim as my inventionl. In a hand-stamp, the combination with a frame and a bodily-movable, reversible dieplate which makes a halff-rotation in its movement from its inking to its printing position, of means for rotating the die-plate, comprising a crank-arm pivoted vto the stamp-frame and to the die-plate, said crank-arm being pivoted to the frame at a point midway between the extreme positions of the die-plate and being adapted to make a complete rotation in the movement of the die-plate from its inking to its printing position 0r vice versa. f

2. In a hand-stamp, the combination with a frame and a bodily-movable, reversible dieplate, of means for rotating the die-plate comprising a crank-arm which is pivotally connected with the frame and die-plate, and means supplementing the action of the said crank-arm in the turning of the die-plate.

3. In a hand-stamp, the combination with a frame, and a reversible die-plate provided with an arm, of a crank-arm which is piv otally connected with the frame and with said arm on the die-plate, and means acting on said die-plate to supplement the action of said crank-arm in turning the die-plate.

4. The combination with a frame and a reversible die-plate, of means for reversing said die-plate, comprising a crank-arm having pivotal connection with the frame and the dieplate, a stud connected with the frame and means on the dieplate adapted to engage said stud inv such manner as to supplement the action of the crank-arm in turning the die-plate.

5. In a hand-stamp, the combination with a frame provided with vertically-slotted end IOO IIO

plates, a forked handle the forks of which are located outside of said end plates, a pivot-rod attached to said forks on the handle and passing through the slots of said plates, a dieplate rotatively mounted on said pivot-rod,

frame end plate adapted for engagement'with the other arm of the die-plate.

In testimony that I olaimthe foregoing as my invention I affix my signature, in presence of two Witnesses, this 20th day of February, 15

and provided at its end with arms having A. D. 1900.

bearing-apertures for the pivot-rod, a crankarm pivotally connected with one arm of said die-plate and with one of the frame end 1o plates, and a stud connected with the other y LOUIS K. SCOTFORD. Witnesses:

C. CLARENCE PooLE, C. W. HILLs. 

